A 34-year-old man lost his life in a house fire in Amboni, Mweiga, Nyeri County on Thursday night. The blaze completely destroyed his home. Authorities confirmed that the man, identified as Anthony Mureithi, died in the incident. His body was taken to a mortuary and is awaiting a postmortem examination. The cause of the fire remains unclear, and investigations are currently underway to determine what triggered the fatal incident.
In a separate event in Nairobi’s Githurai area, a private security guard suffered serious injuries after a teargas canister exploded. The man, who was off duty at the time but normally works at a power substation in Roysambu, sustained severe injuries to his left hand.
According to police, the explosion occurred near the Githurai Makuti area. The guard revealed to responding officers that he had picked up the teargas canister during the Saba Saba protests, unaware of its dangers. The device is believed to have detonated accidentally. He was initially treated at a local chemist before being transferred to a hospital for specialized care.
Police have since recovered the remains of the exploded canister and launched an analysis to understand its composition and the cause of the blast. Authorities reiterated that it is illegal for private security personnel or civilians to possess such explosive devices.
There is growing concern that many Kenyans may have collected unexploded teargas shells following recent anti-government protests. Security officials are urging the public to surrender any such items to prevent further injuries or deaths.
The Saba Saba and related demonstrations on June 25 and July 7 turned violent, resulting in over 60 fatalities and more than 500 injuries across the country. Following the unrest, police reported that approximately 1,500 suspects have been arrested and charged for various offences related to the protests.
Meanwhile, in another security development, two suspects were apprehended in Thika Town’s Makongeni area. During the Thursday evening operation, police recovered two rounds of ammunition from the suspects’ apartment. Investigations are ongoing to determine how they obtained the ammunition and what their intentions were.
